For Nicki Scruggs two out of three ain't bad.

Two votes were enough to land her a spot in Hollywood for season 11 of "American Idol," getting "yes" votes from Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson.

"J.Lo (Jennifer Lopez) said she was on the fence about me," Scruggs said. "But Steven and Randy both said they 'saw something in this girl.' "

Scruggs, a 19-year-old freshman at the University of North Alabama, auditioned in St. Louis during the summer.

It was her twangy rendition of the Laura Bell Bundy song "Giddy On Up" that won her a coveted golden ticket.

Scruggs was one of 46 vocalists chosen from the more than 10,000 that auditioned in St. Louis and is one of about 300 chosen from across the nation to perform again for the show's "Hollywood Week" episodes that air tonight and Thursday on Fox.

Scruggs is studying music business at UNA and has recorded three songs with Muscle Shoals musician Kelvin Holly.

Scruggs, originally of Raymore, Mo., began playing guitar when she was 12 and has been singing since she was a small child.

She said she never really considered making a run for the "American Idol" crown until May, a month before auditions were to be held in St. Louis.

"I actually had a dream I was backstage getting ready to sing," Scruggs said. "I thought after that dream, that maybe this was something I should do.
"When I saw the auditions were in St. Louis, I thought this was really the chance for me to go for it."

So she sang her way through three auditions before getting the chance to sing for the three-judge celebrity panel.

"Go for it" was the advice Scruggs got from her parents, Donnie Scruggs and Lisa Gagliardi.

Gagliardi said she was a bit surprised her daughter wanted to try out for the show, but isn't surprised she made it through the cuts.

"People have told her in the past she should go on ‘American Idol,' but Nicki never felt like she was ready for the show," Gagliardi said. "But I was really delighted when she said she wanted to do it, and I just wanted to support her through each audition."

It was dad who accompanied Scruggs to the first audition at Scottrade Center. Donnie Scruggs said he wasn't surprised to hear his daughter had made it out of the first round of auditions.

"I knew she had talent," he said. "After that day, I knew for sure she was in the top-tier against anyone in the nation."

After getting her pass to Hollywood, Nicki said she was overcome with emotions and has foggy memories of the first few seconds after she was told she was moving on.

"I just stood there," she said. "I wasn't really sure what to do, but then I started crying. It is hard to describe just how unreal that moment felt to me.
"After it sort of sank in, I just wanted to run down the street screaming ‘I'm going to Hollywood.' "

Her musical tastes are "all over the place," and include Demi Lovato, John Mayer, Miranda Lambert and The Beatles, but her singing style, she said, is more defined.

"I like twangy country, blues and even rockabilly," she said.

Not lost on Nicki is the fact that St. Louis auditions produced "Idol" winner Carrie Underwood in season four of the show.

"We are both from small towns and both auditioned in St. Louis," she said. "I look at what she's been able to do and think ‘I could do that.' "

Her mom is confident Nicki has a future in music, especially after listening to her sing for so many years.

"When Nicki was little, she practically got out of bed singing," Gagliardi said. "Her sisters then would say ‘Nicki, stop singing, just stop it.'

"Of course, they are all adults now and very supportive, but singing has always been something Nicki has done and we are excited about this new road she is going down."

When her audition episode aired, Nicki turned down invites to watch the show with friends and instead opted to watch it while talking through Skype with family back in Missouri.

Her viewing party for this week's episodes will likely be the same.

"I just don't want to miss anything," she said. "Every time I get a glimpse of myself, I just scream."